Package for crushable articles and a method and apparatus for producing the same



1958 E. B. STRATTON, JR 2,861,404

PACKAGE FOR CRUSHABLE ARTICLES AND A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCINGTHE SAME Filed Oct. 5, 1955 INVENTOR. EDWARD BUM/MAN EITRATTUN, JR

ATTORNEY:

United States PACKAGE FOR CRUSHABLE ARTICLES AND A METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING THE SAME Application October 5, 1955, Serial No. 538,555

Claims. on. 53-22 The present invention relates to a package forcrushable articles and a method and apparatus for producing the same,and is particularly directed to the type of package consisting of amounting card upon which an article is placed and secured by a moldedplastic film which is closely formed about the article and is firmlylaminated to the card, preferably by vacuum molding.

With methods heretofore in use, such packages had a tendency to distortthe crushable article, or the crushable part thereof, due to thepulling-down effect of the plastic film through the application ofvacuum. Inasmuch as the purpose of such packaging, in addition toprotecting the article, is to present it in attractive form,

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these previous methods defeated such purpose to a large extent, as thearticle would be so changed in appearance that a prospective purchaserwould be misled as to its actual form. An example of an article of thistype is a paint brush, and with packages produced according to theprevious methods, the'bristles of the brush would be flattened down orcrushed, thus detracting from the appearance and purpose of the package.

Attempts have been made heretofore to overcome this difliculty byproviding a transparent plastic bubble or blister of relatively heavygauge plastic material over the crushable portion of the article, as forinstance the bristles of a brush, but this has also provedunsatisfactory as the force of the vacuum tends to collapse or distortthe bubble or blister, particularly where there is sufficient heatpresent to soften the material of the bubble or blister during theapplication of vacuum.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved packageand a method and apparatus for producing it, which will dispense withthe use of the bubble or blister, and at the same time will prevent thecrushable portion of the article from becoming distorted or crushed. Tothis end it is proposed to provide a re-.

movable rigid shield for the crushable portion .of the article, aboutwhich the plastic film is molded. It is further proposed to provide animproved package where,- in the supporting card is provided with a slotopening, utilized during the packaging operation for the removal of theshield, and which provides convenient means for engaging a hook or pinwith the card to support the package for display purposes.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactoryembodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includesall such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the sheet of plasticfilm, a paint brush to be packaged, the card, and the removable shield;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the brush and shield inplace upon the card, and the sheet of plastic film in superimposedrelation thereto;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the plastic film molded about theshield and brush and laminated to the card;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the package with the shield removed andindicating the method of removing the shield; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the package supported upon a hookfor display purposes.

Referring to the drawings, the card employed in my improved package andmethod and apparatus for making the same, may be of any suitable outlineshape and is illustrated as a rectangular card 10 provided upon itsupper surface with a coating layer 11 of a suitable adhesive, as forinstance, a heat sensitive plastic resin adapted, as will hereinaftermore fully appear, to laminate a plastic film thereto through thecombined effect of vacuum and heat.

The card is provided with fine perforations 12 which are suitablyarranged in accordance with the particular article to be packaged, beingshown as provided in spaced relation around the border of the card andalso in spaced relation along the outline corresponding to the outlineshape of the article to be packaged, in this case, the outline of apaint brush. Forwardly of the part of the card where the crushable partof the article will be disposed, there is provided a slot 13 curved atits endsas at 14, for a purpose presently to be explained, and providedcentrally with a notch opening 15 adapted for engagement by a hook orpin for the purpose of displaying the completed package, as willhereinafter more fully appear. The article to be packaged, shown forexample as a paint brush 16, is provided with crushable bristles 17.

The shield 18 is formed of metal or other suitable rigid material andits head portion is shaped to fit over the crushable portion of thearticle, i. e, the bristles 17 in the case of the paint brush, beingprovided along its side edges with downwardly curved flanges 19 andbeing provided with a handle extension20 connected to the portion 18 bya shoulder 21, the handle portion being in a fiat plane slightly belowthe flat plane of the edges of the flanges 19.- i

In carrying out the method, the article to be packaged, for example thepaint brush, is placed upon the card within the outline defined by theperforations 12, and the shield 18 is engaged over the bristles of thebrush by inserting the handle portion of the shield downwardly throughthe slot 13 and swinging the shield into overlying relation with thebristles, with the flanges 19 engaging the upper surface of the card andthe handle portion 20 extending outwardly from the slot 13' at the lowerside of the card. In this relation these parts are The fiat sheet ofplastic film 22 is placed in a suitable I frame of the vacuum moldingmachine in spaced relation above the card and 1's thereupon heated tothe desired degree to render it plastic for the purpose of vacuummolding, whereupon the heated sheet is moved downwardly upon the card sothat it is first mechanically draped about the article and the shield,and thereupon substantially simultaneously therewith the vacuum isapplied at the underside of the card, molding the plastic film inconforming relation about the article and the shield, and at the sametime laminating the film to the card in surrounding relation to thearticle and the shield, the layer of adhesive upon the card beingsufficiently softened by the heat of the plastic film so that thecombined effect of the heat and the application of Vacuum firmly adheresthe film to the card. Thereupon the shield is removed by means of thehandle portion 20 outwardly through the slot 13, the portion 18 movingfrom its shielding relation at the upper side of the card to the underside of the card, the curved ends 14 of the slot 13 permitting easypassage of the flanges 19. The bristles of the brush are thus exposedthrough the portion of the transparent film molded by the shield which,being in the form of a blister-like enclosure about the bristles, out ofpressing contact therewith, effectually preserves the original shape ofthe bristles without distortion or crushing. Preferably the edge of thepackage is trimmed following the vacuum molding of the plastic filmthereon.

The slot 13 pr vides for access of air to the space in which thebristles are enclosed, so that'there is a balance established betweenthe air Within the enclosed space and the atmosphere, thus eliminatingany tendency for the blister-like portion of the plastic film moldedabout the bristles to distort or collapse due to a difierential withatmospheric pressure. As shown in Fig. 5, the notch opening 15 in theslot provides a convenient means for engaging a hook or pin 23 with thecard to hang it up for display purposes,

While the method has been described particularly With reference to theso-called vacuum molding method of applying differential pressure toopposite sides of a plastic film, wherein the atmospheric pressure atthe upper side is in excess of the reduced pressure produced at thelower side by the application of vacuum; it is pointed out that it mayalso be carried out by the so-called pressure molding method of applyingdifferential pressure to opposite sides of a plastic film, wherein airpressure is applied to the heated plastic film at the upper side inexcess of the atmospheric pressure at the lower side,

The. design of the shield and the slot may, of course, be varied to suitthe particular shape of the article to be, packaged.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of packaging which comprises placing an, article includinga crushable part upon the upper surface of a relatively rigid backingmember in spaced relation to the edges of said backing member, placing aremovable rigid shield over the crushable part of said article, moldinga plastic film over said shield and the part of said article not coveredby said shield and laminating said film to the upper surface of saidbacking member at those portions thereof not contacted by said articleand shield, and removing said shield from between said backing memberand the part of said film molded by said shield.

2. The method of packaging which comprises placing an article includinga crushable part constituting an outer edge of. said article upon theupper surface of a relatively rigid backing member in spaced relation tothe edgesof said backing member, placing a removable rigid shield overthe crushable part of said article and about its outer edge, molding aplastic film over said shield and the part of said article not coveredby said shield and laminating said film to the upper surface of said 4backing member at those portions thereof not contacted by' said article,and removing said shield from between said backing member and the partof said film molded by said shield. i

3. The method of packaging which comprises placing an article includinga crushable part constituting an outer edge of said article upon theupper surface of a relatively rigid backing member in spaced relation tothe edges of said backing member, placing a removable rigid shield overthe crushable part of said article and about its outer edge, molding aplastic film over said shield and the part of said article not coveredby said shield and laminating said film to the upper surface of saidbacking member at those portions thereof not contacted by said article,providing an opening in said backing member outwardly of said crushablepart engaged by a part of said shield, and removing said shield throughsaid opening from between'said backing member and the part of said filmmolded by said shield.

4. The method of packaging which comprises placing an article includinga crushable part upon the upper surface of a relatively rigid backingmember in spaced relation to the edges of said backing member, providingan opening in said backing member adjacent said crushable part, placinga removable rigid shield over the crushable part of said article with aportion of said shield extending through said opening to the under sideof said backthe part of said film molded by said shield by means of saidpart of said shield disposed at the under side of said backing member.

5. The method of packaging which comprises placing an article whichincludes a crushable part upon the upper surface of a relatively rigidbacking member in spaced relation to its edges, providing air passagesthrough said backing member at points in surrounding relation to thepart occupied by said article, placing a removable rigid shield over thecrushable part of said article, molding a plastic film over said shieldand the part of said article not covered by said shield and laminatingsaid film to the upper surface of said backing member at those portionsthereof not contacted by said article by means of the application ofvacuum through said passages, and removing said shield from between saidbacking member and the part of said film molded by said shield.

References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,951,567 Spear Mar. 20, 1934 2,455,109 Bowers Nov. 30, 1948 2,618,383Chapman et al. Nov. 18, 1952 2,621,129 Ramsbottom Dec. 9, 1952 2,645,340Dow July 14, 1953 2,690,593 Abercrombie Oct. 5, 1954 2,750,719 WandeltJune 19, 1 956

